Life — December 2, 1920 — page 36: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This sketch depicts a formal holiday social gathering, likely from the early 20th century based on the art style and fashion. A seated woman in an elegant gown observes a group of women in evening wear conversing with a line of men in formal attire in the background. The caption "Is This a Rendezvous or Merely a Coincidence?" suggests satirical commentary on social conventions—specifically, the pretense that chance encounters at formal gatherings are actually orchestrated romantic meetings. The humor targets upper-class social rituals where men and women's interactions were carefully managed despite being presented as spontaneous. The drawing's style and context suggest this is satirizing the artificiality of high-society Christmas events and courtship rituals of that era.